


Lucy & George

by Tresapes



Category: Two Weeks Notice (2002)
Genre: F/M, I love these characters as much as they are supposed to be loved, I love this film more than I should, I'm not joking - Freeform, They earned it, be warned, because I feel those two deserve their happily ever after, it will rotten your teeth, this fic is so fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 04:56:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17595035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tresapes/pseuds/Tresapes
Summary: The idea that George and Lucy could work together was, at first, a joke. Then it was a nightmare, for Lucy. Then, it was the only thing that made sense, that would ever make sense. Love changes people, it definitely changed them.





	1. Seemingly Mismatched

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!  
> Probably no one is more surprised with fact that I wrote this fic than I am. I've loved this movie since I was a teenager and I re-watched it last week, after years of having forgotten it ever existed. While I will admit it's very weak at points (and has a bunch of cringe worthy moments), I have to say the characters, not just the leading ones but the supporting ones as well, are excellently crafted, and Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant have done an amazing job making them real and likeable. 
> 
> I was actually disappointed by the fact that the film didn't give enough credit to the characters, abandoning their moments of development for cheap jokes, and cutting their journey so short. It this fic, you will read about their journey throughout the film, and beyond it. 
> 
> I'm a bit iffy about some of the fluffy moments, they might feel a bit OOC. I don't have a beta reader and if I spend anymore time editing the story myself I would never finish it so, here it is. I hope you guys will like it!  
> xo  
> Tresapes

When he was a child, George did everything Howard, his brother, had done before him. It wasn’t out of some big brother worship situation, but rather the result of his parents setting a child rearing sample with Howard, and simply applying it to George as well. The heir and the spare, as they call it. Howard Wade and his brother, George.

  
So, George took antihistamines for his horse allergy and wore his shorts until his 8th birthday, like all upper-class British boys did (even though the New York winter meant getting home with purple calves). He followed Howard to the all-boys boarding school and made no friends at all, going through classes with a quiet disinterest and detachment, honestly looking forward to holiday times when he could join people outside his immediate family to any available outing. He was also present at every company function, waving with ease and a practiced smile. Other than that, he was rather quiet and ridiculously unremarkable. That is, until he hit puberty.

  
Then his laid-back manner coupled with his athletic built and lack of responsibility (that had already cost Howard a good portion of his hair), not to mention his fair share of the Wade fortune, made him practically irresistible to the other sex. Suddenly, George was gloriously remarkable. It was as if his parents realised, they had two children. He thoroughly enjoyed their rage, the attention, the fact that he had gone from being a decorative element to being the black sheep of the family.

  
He vowed to himself never to get close to a horse ever again, he gave up his riding boots and grabbed the tennis racket. The girls looked much prettier in those tiny skirts, and were easily manoeuvred out of them. That’s when many of his circle realised, tennis is such a fashionable sport, leading to even Howard taking it up (and meeting his wife Helen in the process).  
George was thoroughly enjoying life until Howard realised his once unremarkable brother had a knack for being likeable. Women loved him, the public loved him and most importantly, investors loved him. That’s how George found himself being bullied into becoming the face of Wade Organisation. Which is how the two of them became George Wade and his brother, Howard. He enjoyed that in the early days, feeling particularly cocky with how things turned out.

* * *

  
Fast forward 15 years, countless contracts, endless meetings and parties, not to mention 2 failed marriages, and not much had changed, except George’s perception of things. It didn’t take him long to stop enjoying his part in the family business, but by then he was buried far too deep into it. His opinion had no weight in any real way. Not to mention he had, by now, spent most of his life as a character originally created to annoy his family, but one who had now been turned into a marketing strategy. The easy-going millionaire playboy, the face of Wade. A made-up farce turned to his life’s endgame, even though deep down, he was the same introverted boy, who spent many a night playing chess with his driver turned best friend, or drinking in bars alone until some random woman showed up and decided to offer her company.

  
If you asked George what was it that drew Lucy to him in the first place, why did he hire her practically on the spot that day, he would, in retrospect, be ashamed to admit the truth.  
See, even if beautiful, reckless women who went through life being interested only in the surface of things (much as he liked to pretend he did himself) were his go-to option when it came to causing his brother hair loss, (as payback, since he considered him to be the second main cause for his life being what it was), what he realised while he was going through the same type of women that day, was that that particular joke had run its course and it would be interesting to find some way to improve on it.  
Lucy Kelson was in that respect, a gift from heaven. He wouldn’t be able to tell you the colour of her eyes or what clothes she was wearing had you asked him that day, even though if he had known then what he has come to learn now, he would have been more concerned about her, instead of just thinking about himself. He would have noticed how her hands trembled from the suppressed emotions (as they sometimes did) in her attempt to be civil as she was showing him the images of the building she so loved. Or how her voice just wouldn’t form words in the easy manner it normally could, because this entire thing was so far outside of her comfort zone.

All he knew then was that here was a well-educated woman, who was the polar opposite of himself –and his brother-. Opinionated, liberal to the bones, shockingly lower middle class, disregarding appearances and not caring about money, of all ridiculous things. A person Howard never expected, but a person fulfilling his criteria for a worthy Chief Counsel.  
That was the truth. Lucy Kelson started out as a joke, much as George Wade had. A genius way to annoy his brother. It’s funny that to this day George can’t pinpoint the moment when her existence in his life managed to break through the façade he had built around himself, and pull George unceremoniously out into the real world. All he knows now is that what had started out as a spoilt boy thinking he found himself a new toy, ended with two people overcoming their troubles and finding love and companionship in each other.

  
The first point in Lucy’s favour was the fact that she annoyed Howard. Excessively. They met the day she drafted her employment contract. In fact, Howard made a rare random appearance in the company building for precisely that reason. George was genuinely cheerful:

  
“Oh Howard! Excellent timing, please, meet Lucy, my new chief counsel.”

  
And a frostier meeting had never existed.

“Ms Kelson.”

  
“Mr Wade.”

After hardly shaking hands, Howard, with an obviously fake smile in place, began his attack.

  
“I will be honest with you, Ms Kelson, when I was told my brother hired you, I had a good laugh thinking it was a joke. Hardly necessary to explain, I am not laughing anymore.”

  
Lucy began with a more positive attitude, but was now obviously meeting him halfway in fake cheerfulness.

  
“Ah, I understand your frustration Mr Wade but I can assure you, Wade Organisation has already benefited from my position within its legal team, considering the fact that you just gained the deal for the Coney Island towers thanks to my interference.”

  
“Right. Well...”

  
Apparently, Howard couldn’t say much after that. He gave them some random directions (just so he could avoid leaving in awkward silence) and left the office. George turned to Lucy then:

  
“Do you know Ms Kelson, I think this will be an excellent working relationship.”

  
“I certainly hope so Mr Wade. Now if you don’t mind, I should probably start meeting the legal team.”

  
“Oh yes of course, go ahead, Norman will show you around.”

  
The relationship between her and Howard got exponentially better as time went on, with Howard being entirely uncomfortable in her presence, given the fact that he could never gain the upper hand in a conversation when she was in the room. Not to mention he could no longer annoy George for doing business in a messy, disorganised way, given the fact that Lucy kept the company business dealings in an impeccable state and managed to better their public image with her charity work (and cut back on taxes) in the process.

  
This brought George to the lucky position of having even less work to get done. What’s interesting though is that he was actually looking forward to getting to the office in the morning ever since Lucy came on board. It was interesting to him to watch the ways her mind worked. She gave the most profound answers even to questions the entirety of the rest of his staff found, frankly, ridiculous. Like the day he asked everyone in the office which kind of paper to use for his correspondence. He ended up ordering neither one, opting for a recyclable solution instead (one that tasted even better). It was worth every penny, given the fact that Lucy (the only one who noticed the change) gave him a tiny smile every time she saw one of those papers.

  
Suffice to say it all went downhill from there. In retrospect, he realised that while he simply enjoyed her company and wanted to do all sorts of things with her, creating an endless parade of outings designated to make him feel better, she was there because she considered it her job. And she was his lawyer turned personal assistant which, of course, made her miserable. But George was happy. Why go from one endless party to the next to be the company clown, when he could go mattress shopping with Lucy instead? And even when he did go to the company party, it was preposterous now to do so without Lucy.

He would get the limo, go to her house half an hour early, knock on her door and have her yell at him:

 “George! We’ve talked about this, can’t you let me get ready in peace?”

To which he would reply while entering her flat:

“I can’t, can I? You help me pick my outfits all the time, shouldn’t I at least reciprocate?”

“No George, you _make_ me help you pick your outfits.”

“Regardless of that, I’m sure you’d end up coming to the party in a business suit if I weren’t here to nag you into being presentable.”

Then she would come out barefoot in a cute –but reserved and unremarkable, usually black- dress, in minimal makeup and looking around for her shoes which were of course tidily put away.

“Won’t you at least ask me what I think?”

“You already dictate my life George, you will not dictate my wardrobe. Did you go over the speech?”

“Oh yes, it’s a marvel, well done. Howard was impressed.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s quite all right, he must be satisfied once in a while I suppose.”

By this point she would have her shoes, and her coat, and her purse. He would help her into the lift, and then into the limo where he would be sure to have champagne for him and crackers for her. Helped with the stress. They would go over his speech together, she would find some tiny thing wrong with it, he would insist it’s fine. It would be fine, everyone would applaud, they would do their rounds with the guests, mingle for a while, meet for the mandatory social dance, say their goodbyes and go home. 

It was interesting that Howard and Helen were in fact not happy with that turn of events, mostly due to the fact that Lucy was capable of expressing the most radical opinions imaginable for an upper-class crowd, and yet she was delicate enough (when not yelling at George) and convincing enough that she would manage to snatch quite a few supporters for her charities.

In any case, when they did actually manage to get home, he would accompany her to her flat, talk loudly while she changed, messed with her things while she showered and generally stuck around until she emerged in a tank top and mismatched pyjama pants and kicked him out because she needed at least 8 hours off of him. Interestingly enough, he would never leave if she wouldn’t make him, which should have rung a bell earlier on in regards to how important a figure she was in his life.

While many would call George Wade a selfish creature (and he was), he was actually making an exception when it came to Lucy. He knew more about her than he let on, or than she realised. He noticed she tended to eat piles of food when she was stressed, which is why he had made a standing order for non-fat muffins for her, and would bring them to the office every morning. He knew about her germaphobia, which had made him even more upset with his former wife, for throwing that glass of water and upsetting Lucy. 

It was in applying methods that helped _him_ relax (like mindless shopping) to make _Lucy_ relax that everything went wrong. Not to mention of course, that what he hadn’t realised was that even though the enormous amount of time they spent with each other was bringing joy and order in his life, it brought stress and unhappiness in hers. Which is probably what hurt him more than anything else when she quit.

* * *

 

“Hello? Yes, this is George Wade calling for Mr Lowel. Mark, how are you? How’s the old boat? Oh yes, I see... I have a specialist I can ring up for that but first I need a favour from you. I’m afraid I’ve nagged my Chief Counsel to her wits’ end. Be a good chap, if she comes by, don’t hire her, I’m in the process of attempting to redeem myself, it’s all in good fun.  Howard is throwing a party –not willingly, of course- next week. Drop by, he asked me to keep it small, just a few friends and all that, we should have a jolly good time.”

“Yes, is this... Allen, Allen &Allen? I'd like to speak to one of the Allens’ if they’re around, this is George Wade.”

George’s entire morning was spent going through his agenda and calling everyone and anyone Lucy might approach in her job search. And then he grabbed the phone book. Suffice to say it was exhausting, and he couldn’t help but feel some

resentment towards her, especially considering how well she had been treated while she worked for them. He had reserved some concern for Lucy, thinking of her running all over town and stress eating any edible material that made itself available. By noon he had reached the end of his rope and called the girls for an emergency massage, which is, of course, the moment Lucy decided to appear. Having lived in distress all morning, he dropped her own contract at her feet and walked out.

He should have seen the change in her strategy coming when she was late for that meeting with Howard. Lucy was never late. Of course, he thought, maybe she had a change of hearts, and did this for him, knowing Howard hates waiting around for people when he has much more important things to do at all times. Still, he found himself thoroughly enjoying her antics. Howard’s vein was about to pop in his forehead while he was pulling Lucy’s gum from the sole of his shoe, and George was feeling largely entertained, especially since Howard would have never seen this coming from Lucy. Maybe a protest sign in his office, or passive aggressive notes regarding company polices (which he had actually received), but not this.

In the end, when Lucy drove her point home with her little speech in the company bathroom he felt like a tiny human being. He agreed to let her go and vowed to himself that he would take extra good care of her while she was still working for him, and hope for the best. Of course, that second part was easier said than done. It would not be easy to let her go, not when he was so attached to her, he could tell if she had recently been in a room by picking up her perfume in the air. She had managed to make him start being honest with himself enough to admit to that.

An opportunity to show her he can be a caring man, arose while they were at the construction site taking pictures after his speech. Normally he would be impatiently nagging her to get in the car so they could both grab lunch and run off to an expedition of some sorts before Howard or anyone else could snatch her away to get some “real” work done in the office. This time, he let her take the lead, and was actually excited to meet the people who raised his... What was Lucy? His lawyer? Friend? He tried not to dwell there too much...

After an afternoon in their company all he could tell was that Lucy picked her gluttonous consumption of food under stress from her father, who seemed to be a perfectly good chap, and her intensity from her mother, who was a terrifying woman. 

After coffee and cake was served, Lucy took his hand and started leading him away from the kitchen. That apartment was ridiculously small, where could they be going?

“Dad, we’re heading up the roof.”

“Ok sweetheart, just don’t push each other off of it!”

George was astonished.

“I didn’t think your mother would let me leave the house alive, but do tell, do you normally run out on them?”

“Oh, my parents are used to this. Besides, you _need_ to see the view from the roof.”

In a rare display of genuine interest for another human being, George spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Lucy talk about her childhood. It was interesting to find out the conditions that shaped this... incomprehensible creature. But he ended up feeling the need to respond with a story of his own, when she shared herself with him in such a way, but first, mostly due to his British bones, he had to break the tension with a joke.

“There’s something amuck with this sponge cake.”

“...Tofu.”

They had a much-needed chuckle with that. Of course, Lucy wouldn’t just let him off the hook.

“So... I guess, not being little Oliver Twist doesn’t guarantee a healthy childhood.”

George shrugged.

“I must have looked a little like a less shabby Oliver Twist at some point. Have you seen smartly dressed British boys? It’s ghastly Victorian. Anyway, my parents did feed me and dress me and give me a stellar education that I didn’t in any way deserve. Or wish for. Not that anyone ever asked, what it was that I wished for. Not even myself.”

Lucy nodded along, expecting him to continue. He actually would prefer to just observe her make faces to the tofu cake, it was an amusing sight, but he carried on.

“There’s not much more to tell. Howard was the destined heir, I was there in case he fell off his horse and broke his neck while trying to master the trakehner jump.  Later on, and I have to admit this was partially my fault, I was there to smile for the cameras. Someone has to do it, I suppose.”

Lucy seemed upset with that description but she didn’t say anything. Opening up is one thing, unsolicited advice, another. 

“You know... It’s been, more than helpful, for me, to have you on board this past year. Not just because I had someone to call in the middle of the night but... I caught myself often thinking, _what would Lucy do?_ That ended up with me calling you in the middle of the night most of the time I must admit, but the possession of a conscience is something I am certain, not a single member of my family has had, for at least a century.”

Lucy gave a sad laugh at that.

“Well, thank you, I think, even though the... thought of a lack of conscience in such a great amount of people is... depressing. If it makes you feel any better, I did enjoy yelling at you...”

“And occasionally knocking my head.”

“...And occasionally knocking your head to get you to do nice things to people.”

“I noticed.”

They did manage to finish that cake.

A few days later, after a couple of depressing talks with his driver, and some disappointing interviews, George realised he didn’t in fact want someone like Lucy to be the new counsel. Sure, he enjoyed teasing her about finding an improved version of herself but the truth was, all he wanted was Lucy in his life.

By this point the pieces were beginning to fall into place in his mind because truly, they spent so many hours together _not_ working. They went to lunches, attended parties together, played tennis together. When her boyfriend dumped her, George was there to pick up the pieces, feed her and let her get drunk in a safe space. She did give him a small fright when she passed out in his arms, but it was all so confusing, her drunken confessions and her sloppy kiss that sent bolts through his body when it really shouldn’t have. 

He would have teased her mercilessly the next day, but she was shy and tentative and his heart fluttered for the first time when she smiled in gratitude. He didn’t know what to do with himself, his hands seemed to constantly attempt to touch her in some way so he did what any self-respecting male would do in a situation like that: he bolted.

Given the revelations he had in those last couple of days, the last thing he cared about was who to hire as a new chief counsel. June was good enough. Female, Harvard graduate. The entire situation with Lucy made him uncomfortable so he gave her a break and stayed with the young lady who seemed set on flattering him to death. It was with great disappointment that he realised, it was impossible to get the amount of satisfaction he normally would when a woman like her paid so many compliments to him. Instead he put his best act on, made sure to settle her in a hotel, and went searching for answers. 

He found Lucy sitting alone in the conference room after the meeting ended, looking out the window, leafing through an inordinate amount of paperwork, and munching on those crackers he kept hiding in drawers all over the building. She looked pretty, he realised, with the afternoon sun bringing out light brown hues in her hair, her hand casually turning the pages of what was probably the latest addendum to whatever the legal issue of the day was. How could he not have noticed before, just how pretty she was? He walked away silently, and began planning a strategy. A strategy to figure out what Lucy wanted.

George began to truly understand –and admit to himself- just where his feelings towards Lucy were heading when he lost the ability to laugh _at_ her. Now whenever she unconsciously did something funny, he would smile with affection, and try to help her get her out of whatever awkward situation she managed to get herself in. 

He began feeling the need to redeem himself in her eyes even more strongly. He kept taking extra good care of June, and made sure to let Lucy know just how respectfully he treated his new chief counsel, and saw to her needs. 

He invited her to the tennis game, although he did partially regret that due to the injury she caused Lucy –who was uncharacteristically competitive that day-, not to mention the jolt of fear that went through him when he saw her drop on the ground. Of course, the fact that June won the game for Howard (when they were playing couples, along with Helen, while Lucy was resting after the ball hit) did not win her any points either. It was starting to get on his nerves, just how much Howard and Helen seemed to like June. 

The car ride was a welcome break from that horrible trio. And the bathroom emergency a chance for him to shine with his resourcefulness. God bless that family, he actually did give them a thousand dollars (not that he said that to Lucy). Speaking of whom, he wasn’t sure if she was picking up his tiny attempts at wooing her during that helicopter ride. Considering the fact that she never once smiled at him charmingly, or stray from their casual conversations, she probably didn’t. He kept pondering on the condition he found himself in, and had begun questioning himself on the validity of those growing feelings. Perhaps it was simply a manifestation of how terribly he would miss her when she was gone.

* * *

 

All those doubts, all those question marks, they were all gone. The moment he lay his eyes on her at the party, he knew. This was it for him. This magnificent woman, who kept him guessing to the last minute. He remembered what she had said in her drunken state. 

_I'm not going to spend hours fluffing my hair and applying... animal-tested makeup to my face... just so that I can turn myself into some male fantasy, degrading Kewpie doll. Unless I, you know, really like the guy or something._

Their eyes met across the room, hers were smiling in challenge and mirth; because of course she would be an intolerable flirt when it mattered. He laughed at himself, for not seeing sooner what had probably been there for a long time, for both of them. But then they met up close, and he couldn’t laugh. He couldn’t even form sentences, the besotted fool. His brain had short-circuited, and formed half thoughts, before dismissing them to form other half thoughts. He wanted to be alone with her. Take her hand and snatch her away from this snooze fest. But he should take her dancing first. She _was_ beautiful. Suddenly Trump’s threat to meet with Lucy became real. How utterly ridiculous. Lucy _work_ for _Trump_. George would feed that buffoon his golf clubs before he let _that_ happen. 

“... I... you... can’t wait to hear your speech.”

_What was that? Oh, the speech..._

“... No, it’s just... you look absolutely...”

_Stunning? Like I dreamt you up? Like the kind of_ _woman_ _I could never possibly deserve?_

“...surprising.”

Be assured, no one berated George for that choice of word more than George, internally, did.

“Well, you haven’t seen the whole outfit yet.”

And then she proceeded to add a Red Nose to the outfit. Because of course Lucy would find a way to incorporate her charitable disposition to her costume. But George would have none of that. He wanted, just this once, to be George and Lucy, no corporations, no bigger causes, just two people who had miraculously found each other. He did allow his hand to reach out this time and take that part of the outfit away.

“You see, ordinarily that would suit you extremely well, but... well tonight you’re... I’m just...”

_Tonight,_ _you’re reaching out to me and I’m awed and even though I need some time to process what is happening I do feel it deeply and if we just took some time to ourselves to..._

“Lucy, hey!”

It was impossible for George to follow the conversation after they got so rudely interrupted. He did manage to come up with an excuse for the obvious intensity that existed between them, because this was theirs and he would never allow anyone to interfere with what they had just very recently discovered themselves, it was too precious. Of course, he thought, with the way he kept dreamily gazing at her, at her eyes that were sharing his secret, it would be impossible to hide it for very long. 

He was thinking his sappy thoughts when June mentioned the Community Centre. And like all dreams this too came to a premature end, with the hurt in Lucy’s eyes. The hurt that he put there, because he was not strong enough, or competent enough, to provide her with the world she deserved. His legs would not have been able to carry him away from her fast enough, if Lucy hadn’t unceremoniously grabbed him and dragged him away from the scene of his unending misery.

Thus, they were back to where they had begun. Dancing intimately like a married couple, his hand finding her waist with practised ease, her effortlessly following his lead for a change. The familiarity of her perfume lulled him to a false state of relaxation until his frustration with their situation erupted within him, and he couldn’t contain his emotions any longer. The hurt he felt for her abandonment and the doubts he still had about himself were coming to the surface tenfold now that he had across from him this wonderful, brilliant woman, whom he already knew he would love to the end of his days, and who would be far away from his reach in just a single night. 

“You said you needed me to tell you when you were being a schmuck George, well, guess what...” 

“It's frankly none of your business, is it?! You don't work here anymore!” 

“I cannot believe you are not even going to _try_ to be the person that you could be!” 

“This _is_ the person I could be.”

“No! You walk around with the comforting thought that you are second-rate and that there's nothing you can do about it. And I never believed it until right now. This minute. This is the first time, in a year, that I really don't like you.” 

“Yeah, well, I haven't liked me for far longer than that and you know what, I'm not crazy about you right now either. Why don't you go and be the person you're supposed to be?” 

“Oh, good. I see the mature part of the evening has begun.”

And in a voice full of hurt, she stormed off.

George was inconsolable and livid at the same time. The simple fact that his incompetence and her stubbornness would be the things that would keep them apart even now that their hearts were open to each other infuriated him. That hurt child that still lived inside of him rebelled at her words. Her praise pained him, because it wasn’t true, he couldn’t help being who he was any more than she did. Her disapproval broke his heart, because he had told himself worst things, but coming from her, it was torture.

There was only one sure way to forget one's pain in a boring party full of free booze. Right after his speech and the necessary mingling, he got really, really drunk. Occasionally he would notice her moving about the space, talking to people and avoiding his eyes. He saw her and Howard disappear for a short while, only to return with a red-faced Howard whose forehead vain was vibrating like he was having an aneurysm, and a visibly upset Lucy looking for the snacks bar only to realise it was where he was sitting, which led her to make an immediate U turn. Apparently, avoiding him was higher in her list of priorities than stress eating. He supposed it was fortunate, that he found at least one way of being of use to her. 

His gloomy thoughts were rudely interrupted twice. Once by Trump, who had the audacity to inform him that his former chief counsel was a looker, and that he really should introduce him to her. For a moment, George honestly considered actually leading the despicable man to where Lucy was, just so she would have to deal with him. But then he realised, he actually loved this woman. He would never allow any bad thing, let alone a pig like Trump, to get anywhere near her, if he could stop it. So, he’s pretty sure he managed to kindly tell him to bugger off. And to not dream about offering her a job either, she had signed an agreement that forbade her from working for immediate competitors. Which was a lie, but Trump was an idiot.

The second interruption of his manly brooding came from June. She was in a more than friendly mood, he gathered, and apparently, ready to go home. After some chattering about they managed to find Tony and get to the car. The ride back to the hotel did wonders to his drunken state, and by the time he got off the vehicle he was feeling much better. But not well enough to realise that inviting this woman to his room would not ease his suffering. Or to see how it would complicate a situation that was not as dire as his pained heart and drunken ass told him. 

Of course, the look on Lucy’s face when she met his eyes just some half hour later sobered him up faster than any remedy could. And by that point he had reached his end. He was hopelessly in love with a woman he didn’t deserve, he was wearing boxers and an oversized tie and was about to make a horrible mistake. He decided right there and then that he wouldn’t make it. He sent June away as politely as possible. He took a shower. He ate some food. He tried to think clearly. He realised it was impossible. He took some sleeping pills and passed out.

The next day he called Lucy. She wouldn’t answer. He left messages. 

_You are right, I’m a horrible person, I’m sorry. I’ve upset you too many times. You would be right to run off and forget about me. But I’m asking for another chance, because I’m pretty sure you’re it for me_ _, and I will try to become a better person for you_ _. The one person in my life that is of value. Because you saw me, and maybe, for a moment, liked me._

Those were all the things he should have said. Instead, when he did manage to find her, he did the impossible. He made matters worse. Because he knows her, he has known her for more than a year, and it is easy to hurt people you know intimately. His emotionally stunted, brilliant, valiant fighter of the people, that’s who Lucy is. And he is a spoilt little rich boy. And if he had listened to the voice inside of him, he would have held her close and promised to try. To do better. But what good would his promises do? His word, unlike hers, meant nothing. How could they ever match? So, he was unnecessarily harsh in the words that he used. Because sometimes his hurt came out as anger, and frustration. And by the end, he was pretty sure he would never see her again. 

He could never fully remember how that nightmare of a day went from that moment on. He must have met with Howard, who apparently had prepared a truly awful speech for him. Or it appeared as awful now because George, whether he liked it or not, was not the company clown anymore. He must have driven back to the hotel with Tony. 

He broke things and yelled at nothing and no one. He stood in front of a mirror and practiced the horrid thing Howard called a company apology. But in his heart of hearts he knew, he couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t do it. So, what if he lost money? He had enough to live more than decently for the rest of his life. What was so threatening about being kicked out of the company? A company he never cared too much for, a position he had never wanted, that didn’t suit who he was anymore. Those were all good enough reasons to not go through with the blasted thing, without even considering the greatest of all, it gave him a shot at redemption. 

He could be a better man and in doing so, he could win Lucy back. Because he wanted her and everything she was. Her great mind and her kind heart, her obsessive need for justice, her endless stubbornness and equally endless patience. Her eyes looking at him with love shining in them, not repulsion.

After his mind cleared up, the words flowed easily and he couldn’t believe, how the weight lifted from his shoulders and his heart once he was finished. Now all he was left with was giddy agitation, he couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come. It would be his last show, and it would be the best one yet.

It was far easier than perhaps it should have been, to stand on that podium and deliver the words that he alone had prepared. He looked at the crowd and noticed first, the shock in his brother’s face, and then the joy of the protesting bunch, Lucy’s parents front and centre, her mother shocked, her father joyous. Her father’s joy gave him hope when their eyes met and his were knowing and hopeful. 

He left the podium and walked briskly, away from the cameras and _his_ sort of people. He was stepping out of the fence from the building site when he heard his brother’s voice behind him.

“George! George!”

He ignored him.

“Where do you think you are going? What is this unseemly behaviour? Is this all because of a woman? Are you serious?”

Gorge replied without stopping.

“Well said Howard. According to you, I am never serious, and all I ever think about, is women. I’d say you’re not too far off but regardless of that, I meant what I said, I’m sorry, but I’m finished. It’s hopeless to run after me, I’ve washed my hands off of this business. Enjoy doing the decent thing for once, or shoulder the blame yourself for a change. And now if you don’t mind, I have somewhere more important to be.”


	2. No Feelings so in Unison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The blissful reunion and the months that followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone (or anyone!),
> 
> Hope you'll like this chapter, it's -again-, so fluffy it will rotten your teeth.  
> xo  
> tresapes

If you did ask George the following day how he felt, he wouldn’t be hard pressed to tell you. Life was heavenly.

After he reached legal aid, laid his heart at Lucy’s feet, thought it stomped on and walked out, wondering how he would manage to pull enough pieces left of himself to make an entire person, she appeared out of nowhere. He suddenly had an armful of Lucy and he couldn’t be more grateful.

Unfortunately, she did have to return to the office, since she had two more hours of work and the sun would burn out before Lucy skipped work. So, he walked around the city with the goofiest of grins plastered all over his face. He stopped by the pharmacy around the corner on his way back and picked up half a dozen antibacterial hand gels, assuming Lucy was going through them insanely fast, considering she was now coming into contact with way more people, and before he knew it, he was back, picking her up from work and what do you know, she had run out of hand gel. They went to her parent’s flat to find a gracious note stating said parents had gone to the movies, leaving the two of them alone. Lucy ordered her usual inordinate amount of food, but this time they shared, which made it a normal amount of food.

They chatted amicably while eating their dinner and then went to the roof. It was chilly enough in the afternoon to warrant a cuddle, and he felt very grateful for the weather for once. She mastered enough courage to ask him how he felt about leaving his family’s company. It was Howard’s mess to begin with, but still. George didn’t reply immediately, not because he didn’t know the answer but because he was enjoying holding her this close too much. He took off his jacket and dropped it around her shoulders. Lucy didn’t protest for once, she was simply smiling at him sweetly, and waited patiently. He took his time, winding his arms around her waist bellow the jacket, pulling her even closer and pecking her nose with tiny kisses that made her laugh.

“Darling, as you can see, it’s quite hard for me to feel too bad about it.”

“Mm, that’s a relief.” 

“I _do_ have a feeling that Howard tended to dramatise situations in order to persuade me to do things for him. Much as a dictator insists on being the only option. It might not be as bad as he presented it initially.”

She rolled her eyes.

“It should not have been bad in the first place. I saw the original estimates and the company profits were more than good. Unless the project leaders mismanaged the budget, in which case it’s the company’s fault, I can’t see why they would lose so much profit. I told him as much at the party!”

“Don’t be upset dear, I highly doubt he’s going to take back his word now, and I’m almost certain he won’t be living in the streets any time soon either. And in any case, I suppose it might be good for Howard to take on the publicity for a change.” 

“You think?”

“Sure. He might fix his hair, get in shape. Or change his wife, like Trump. Maybe he’ll get his own TV show. I’ve been rejecting that sort of propositions for years –don't laugh, it wasn’t my idea-, but maybe Howard will take them up on it!”

Lucy laughed anyway, but she was playing with his hair while doing so, so he didn’t mind one bit. He couldn’t help himself anymore, he dipped his head and she met him halfway for a kiss that started simply enough, but ended being deep and passionate to the point where they stopped only when they got absolutely breathless. George buried his face in her neck and breathed deeply, while he felt her arms tightening around him. He still couldn’t believe his luck in finding her, in her forgiving him, loving him to begin with.

“Luc...”

“.... Yes?”

“I understand, you’re only here temporarily, and are looking to find your own place but...”

He felt her smile against him.

“George Wade lost for words?”

“Yes, it’s a recently developed defect only brought to the surface by you on occasion. What I was going to say was –and please don’t feel obliged to follow through, it’s simply a suggestion- that I would be very happy if you stayed with me, until you found a place or, you know... Indefinitely. Forever. You know, up to you.”

He straightened up at that point because he needed to look into her eyes, but he held on to her.

She was still smiling, which was a good sign, but she was more serious now.

“George.”

“Yes dear?”

“I will _not_ live in a hotel. We will search for a place, together.”

“As you wish.”

That’s how he found himself happily helping Lucy pack some of her things (meaning he was pulling things out of drawers, asking questions about everything, and interrupting her occasionally with long kisses), calling a taxi and getting back to the hotel. They did spent that entire time debating the merits of home ownership. 

“George, I’m not saying it’s not of value to own a house, I’m just saying, you already have too many of them!”

“I don’t necessarily disagree with that, although I will say that the number of estates I own, is much decreased from what it was originally, thanks to my ex-wives, but I am certain you wouldn’t possibly want to actually live in any of them. Too oligarchic for your tastes. And honestly, _I_ wouldn’t want to live in any of them.”

“Ok, then why don’t you sell them, and make a different kind of investment? No, we are not going to do this. When you meet with your people tomorrow, you decide what you need to do and you will leave me out of it.”

“I need to buy a new house for us!”

“George!”

“What? We would be paying rent anyway, why not just buy a place?”

“George...”

“It can be somewhere close to your work, so you don’t have to suffer the traffic.”

“ _You_ would move outside of the Upper East Side?!”

“Why not? It’s not like I have trouble getting places. Or that I will _need_ to get places in the foreseeable future. I am a free man now, I can do whatever I want.”

“But what about... the shopping sprees and the designer belts, and the... parties?”

“I think my current state of unemployment might impede the shopping sprees, and we’ll have Tony to drive us to the parties, I’m not _entirely_ poor.”

As they arrived, George carried part of the luggage (not that it was much to begin with, most of Lucy’s things were in storage, apparently) and wondered whether it would be worth the trouble to make room in his closet, or if it would make her feel uncomfortable if he put her things in the guest room. He entered the closet and made the decision instantly, leaving the carry on and moving shoes and clothes to make space for her things. Judging by the pleased look on her face it was the correct choice, and it made him feel good, to think of her shoes neatly stacked next to his.

He took her hand in his and gave her a tiny peck on the lips because why not.

“I’m going to call room service and ask them to send wine. Would you care for some cheese and crackers?”

“I’d love some.”

“I’m getting them.”

“And I’m using the shower.”

“Can I join you?”

“Nope.”

“Blast.”

He went to the lounge, put away the chessboard because he was not ready to look at it yet and assumed, neither was Lucy. He lit up the fireplace, because that was one thing, _he_ was good at. He let in the bell hop and arranged the drink and snacks. He poured two glasses of wine and was watching the fire when Lucy emerged. And things were not fun and light anymore.

That tiny black slip of a thing _,_ was definitely not mismatched pyjamas. 

“Ahem. I see there have been some updates you haven’t informed me about.”

Her answering smile was a killer. 

“Well, I thought you would enjoy being surprised.”

She approached him slowly and he met her halfway, shooting out of his chair, arms encircling her waist.

“Does this mean you actually listened to me that night on the boat?”

“Ugh, I was so drunk that night. But I did get one thing right, you know, for the right guy...”

He can’t remember the specifics, but one moment he was bumping their noses and caressing her skin, the other he had picked her up and was carrying her to the bedroom, her small burst of laughter echoing down the corridor. He attacked her mouth first, cutting that laughter short and enjoying how it transformed into a moan. Thankfully he had been living in that flat long enough to navigate with his eyes closed, his hands full and his brain half gone, because he managed to drop them both on the bed and not on the floor.

That first time was fast and wild. They ripped the clothes off of each other, hers were gone in the blink of an eye. He had her naked in his bed, he growled at the view as he grabbed the back of her head and made them both dizzy with a bruising kiss. Images from the countless hours they had spent working, living so closely together this past year passed through his mind and he held on to her now just a bit tighter, the woman he grew to love, the woman who changed him, the one he would vow to cherish for the rest of his life.

Arms and legs in a tangle, they spent the entire night lost in each other. After all they had been through, they could not get enough. They were both tired and sore after a while, but neither seemed to care, giving in to pleasure time and again. The entire room rocked and only with the first light of day did they give in to their natural needs and went looking for food.

They were in the kitchen, George sitting on one of the bar stools in his boxer shorts and Lucy perched on his lap, wearing his shirt open just to protect herself from the morning chill, as they fed each other some fruit and toast and shared a cup of coffee.

“Please, please tell me you are calling in sick at work.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tightly.

“I really do want to.”

“But you are not going to.” He stated with a smile as he fed her an apple slice, and brushed an errand strand of hair away from her face.

“I just keep thinking of all these people. Mrs Munez is afraid she might be evicted, and Mr Kowalczyk! His prescribed drugs have run out and he really needs that new prescription but he’s unemployed, he doesn’t have insurance it’s... I just, I can’t... forget that I have a responsibility towards these people now that I work there. I can’t ignore that just because I happen to be living the best day of my life.”

He let his forehead touch hers and they shared a smile.

“Me too darling.” He dropped a kiss to her forehead and sipped a bit of coffee, before passing the mug to her.

“I suppose it comes with the territory. I’m shocked at myself, I’m not upset at all!”

He managed to get a chuckle out of her with that, and felt very proud.

“You will let me take you to lunch?”

“Yes, please.”

They finished their breakfast and this time they did shower together. Letting their hands caress each other with infinite tenderness as they playfully kissed bruises formed from the passion that had overtaken them just some short hours ago. They dried each other off, George put on a fresh pair of boxer shorts and followed Lucy around the house as she went through her morning routine. He didn’t interfere and she smiled at him playfully every time her eyes caught sight of his. When she dried her hair and he saw the waves that naturally formed he grabbed hold of her and buried his nose in them, inhaling deeply and rumbling at the back of his throat. She hugged him and laughed at his antics.

“George! I will never get ready if you keep up with this!”

“Is that supposed to dissuade me?”

 He always liked the smell of her hair and experiencing her like this was fascinating, just the fact that he was allowed to do this was getting him riled up again. She still laughed and caressed his back affectionately.

He let go of her somewhat begrudgingly, sat on the bathroom cabinet unit and started going through his bathroom regime as she straightened her hair. He did provide her with a running commentary on what he was planning to do that morning, and was in the process of applying shaving cream when she suddenly turned around midway through fixing her makeup as he was towelling his face dry. She gave him a sweet smile and opened the cabinet above his sink, taking out the bottle with his aftershave. 

She applied the exact amount he normally used in her hands and rubbed them together giving a moment for some of the alcohol to be released, before turning towards him and gently rubbing the aftershave on his skin. She bumped her nose to his chin, before she left tiny kisses along his jaw, and took in the smell of his aftershave. Their eyes met and they stood there, cherishing a simple moment of intimacy, which soon turned into something else, because truth be told, the knowledge that she was as attached to the smell of his aftershave as he was to the smell of her hair was, as it turns out, a turn on for George, and his hands were halfway under her shirt when she took a step back.

“Ok, I really need to get ready for work.”

George assumed a feigned stern look before addressing the matter at hand:

“Ms Kelson, you are being an intolerable flirt, and that will not do at all. What was it that you kept yelling in my ear that one time? Oh yes, _i_ _f you’re not determine to finish what you start, do not start it at all._ ”

She was finishing up her makeup and snorted at his antics.

“Should I expect you to quote me, back at me, often?”

He didn’t even need to verbally reply.

“Fine, you’re right, I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.” And then she looked at him with such intent and passion he groaned before looking away.

“Unseemly behaviour. I’m getting dressed. Please, don’t even look at me, because I will throw you over my shoulder and run off like a regular caveman!”

He got dressed and then followed the sound of her footsteps, finding her in the lounge where they both had a laugh at the forgotten wine and cheese. They put the wine in the fridge and threw away the cheese before getting to the elevator, her in her business attire, him not in a suit, but in a grey polo shirt and trousers for a change. He reached for her hand at the same time that she reached for his because their parting was imminent, and he needed the contact. He might have needed more than the contact because he suddenly pulled her to him strongly enough that she stumbled right into his waiting arms. Having trapped her, he proceeded to do things that would have shocked the other occupants, had they happened to bump into them in this public space.

George ended up riding the car with her to legal aid, getting out and walking her to the door, lingering outside for a few minutes before realising he actually had things to do with himself other than pine in front of her workplace like a fool, so he walked back to the car and spent the hours until lunch time meeting with legal advisers and stockbrokers and other people he had sent into anxiety fits when he quit his job and turned off his phone. After making financial plans he was actually set on keeping, largely due to the fact that he had just committed to a radical change in his lifestyle, he bolted out, got himself in the car and gave specific directions to Tony.

He got to legal aid and was originally waiting outside until he realised exactly who it was, he was waiting for. He got inside and there was the love of his life, 10 inches deep in paperwork and probably having lost track of time. She must have sensed his staring because she looked up and immediately her entire face changed, going from drawn and vexed to delighted. She closed her books and grabbed her jacket and had walked up to him in no time.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“Ready to go?”

“Actually no, I was looking for someone.”

Her confusion was adorable.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Polly, I have something for her.”

He indicated one of the bags he was holding.

Lucy gave him a calculated look and spent a few seconds processing the situation before reaching a decision.

“She’s just at the back, I’ll go get her, be right back.”

She did return with Polly (who had a guarded look on her face) straight away.

She reached his side before turning towards her co-worker which allowed him a moment to whisper to her before turning to the woman he was looking for:

“Honestly you’re being too fussy. Hello again Polly!”

“Hello to you.”

He offered her the bag and thoroughly enjoyed her shock, her joy and her laughter when she saw the tiny onesie sitting in that bag.

After leaving the office they bypassed the normal shops they usually visited for lunch, opting for a private picnic by the beach instead, mainly because they were not fit for polite company when they were entirely incapable of keeping their hands off each other. 

They laughed and had their lunch, and they went through the apartments advertised on the paper, arguing all the way through before settling on half a dozen places they were interested in.


	3. The ever after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The happily ever after. I should have mentioned this earlier, there is a cameo appearance that I couldn't possibly avoid. I needed to make those jabs at, if you've seen the film, you'll know who I'm talking about.
> 
> xo  
> tresapes

That was the routine they fell into during those first months of complete bliss. They would somewhat begrudgingly get out of bed in the morning, George would drive all the way to Lucy’s work in the morning before running of to actually take care of various business. He would return to pick her up for lunch and they would visit various places outdoors where they could eat, argue and steal kisses in peace. In the first week they spent their afternoons looking for a place and finding it in an adorable townhouse that reminded George of a dollhouse his cousin Beatrice had, although Beatrice’s toy house was actually larger, according to him. But Lucy did seem to love that tiny place, and she would never live in the kind of house his sort was used to, so he caved in without much fuss. 

He did love the garden they managed to build on the roof, a garden Lucy took care of with her usual gusto and he gave himself private training in being a responsible adult on. They spent lots of afternoons there, setting up a business plan for a new firm they were determined to launch. Or Lucy was determined, George was intrigued and always enjoyed watching her mind at work. They did realise they had to socialise with other people at some point, which led to dinner-turned-debate nights at Meryl’s house, fun attempts at getting a girl for Tony that grew exponentially funnier when he did manage to get one and fell head over heels for her, and attending parties that former business partners still invited them to. George thoroughly enjoyed the fact that now he got to take Lucy to the party without stressing over anything, spend a tiny bit of the night socialising, and the rest dancing, until they could drive back to their home and make love all night long. 

The truth was, they had an entire year of being in love to make up for, which meant that unless they were determined to have a civilised evening with friends, or being out and about in the city, most of their free time was spent defiling every surface available in their new home.

George did eventually –with Lucy’s help- manage to make valuable investments of his –now not so rapidly reducing- fortune, which vexed Ruth a great deal. George bought her ridiculous presents with cheesy lines, like her “You are tea-riffic Mrs Kelson" mug. She didn’t appreciate his humorous attempts to appease her, but Lucy snorted every time she saw that mug so, money well spent.

It took six months for Howard to try and contact him. They met up for dinner, just the two of them, which ended in disaster when Howard made some unkind remarks about Lucy that drove George to giving his brother for the first time in his life a piece of his mind, before storming out. It took them three more months after that, and an insistent Helen, to meet again, all four of them this time, and get through a dinner in peace. They would meet occasionally but the relationship was still somewhat strained.

George proposed to Lucy on a summer night, when he had convinced her to come on a boat ride with him. They were both half-drunk and she launched herself at him with such force they almost fell overboard. They didn’t care much for the wedding part, George having done it multiple times and Lucy being entirely against the entire concept of wedding parties, which meant they decided to use it as a business tool. They invited all the right people, dressed the part, and threw the ceremony at the Coney Island Community Centre as to let everyone know what their new firm would stand for.

Now George was relishing the fact that he could go out and about in the world referring to Lucy as “my wife”. He managed to minimise the 4th marriage jokes because as far as he was concerned, Lucy was the only wife he ever had, and he took excellent care of her, shocking even himself at how easy it had been to shift his worldview so much so that Lucy was actually his first priority from the moment they started dating. The world was more than shocked to see him –the incurable playboy- permanently attached to his wife’s side wherever they went. 

Their only apprehensive appeared when they fretted over how they would manage to navigate their differences in a business environment this time. But they had both grown so much in the last two years. George was much more responsible now, and his decisions where always thought through, even though he did avoid spending too much time in the office, opting to do a lot of the networking –something he had actual experience in-. Lucy had relaxed enough to let the little things go, which thankfully made their employees lives a lot easier, and allowed her to work less frantically and without much anxiety. They had both grown to respect each other so much, on top of the love that did exist between them, that they created a formidable duo indeed. Their company, on top of creating top notch social housing, set the bar high for environmentally conscious property firms, earning them a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

Two years into their marriage they were yet again, at another charity event. The parade of people who wanted a chat seemed endless and after another visit to the bar, they managed to get a moment where they could be wrapped up in each other, as they danced under the open sky. Their feet guided them without any conscious thought, and they spoke only with looks and smiles, enjoying a quiet moment when George’s eyes were suddenly caught at something he saw above Lucy’s shoulder.

“Oh my”, he commented as he pulled Lucy even closer to him and dropped his head until their foreheads touched. His slight chuckles made her smile and prompted her to ask.

“What is it?”

“I’m feeling torn darling. I’m not sure whether or not you should witness what is happening on the other side of the garden.”

“Alright. Give me a clue. You’re laughing so I assume whatever it is, it’s not criminally bad.”

“Literally? No. Figuratively however, I would argue that it is a sight that should be considered criminal.”

“Oh God, is it that group of half-drunk “entrepreneurs” that accosted us at the bar? The ones I still think we can sue for causing us mental anguish?”

“No, it’s nothing that dramatic, it’s Trump.”

“Oh. I think I have gotten used to seeing him in these things enough that I don’t feel nauseated anymore when he’s around.”

“What about when he’s around with a young female friend?”

“Oh no, that is a sight I definitely don’t want to see.”

“What if I told you his female friend is my former almost-chief-counsel June?”

“What?!” 

At which point they stopped dancing and turned, both looking –George with barely suppressed mirth and Lucy with open disgust- as Trump danced with the young woman, his hand often straying to her behind but moving back up in a failed attempt at being inconspicuous about what he was doing.

After sitting there in stunned silence for a few moments, they turned to each other. Lucy had that fierce disappointed expression she picked up from her mother as she wove her arm through his.

“That’s it. I’ve had my fill of this party. Let’s say our good byes to your brother and go home.”

“Of course, darling, if that’s what you wish. Although I do have to say, it does give me a strange sense of accomplishment to see this.”

“How is this inspiring a feeling of accomplishment exactly?”

“Think about it Luc, if it weren’t for you, that could have been me in a few decades” he said as he indicated the dancing buffoon.

“You are being very unfair to yourself. You were never unintelligent, or that level of ignorant, or sexist, or the myriads of other things that man is.”

“I’m not saying I would be like him, I’m saying I would be a multiply divorced old former playboy, who still hasn’t managed to find a place in this world.”

“Oh George.”

“Yes, I am adorable”, that earned him a friendly punch in the arm as they were walking towards where they had last spotted Howard.

“If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn’t be faring much better either. A middle-aged woman protesting on her own, incapable of influencing anyone to see her way, standing alone in front of crumbling old buildings. How sad is that?”

“Well love, thankfully, we’ll never know” he responded as they walked on, arm in arm, thankful once again for having found each other.


End file.
